Garden modelled on city of Mendoza wins top prize at Bloom

A garden modelled on the contrasting altitudes of the Argentinean city of Mendoza was announced as the overall show garden winner at the Bloom festival in Dublin on Thursday.

As the gates opened for the 13th annual Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park, Bord Bia announced that the highest ever number of gold medals had been awarded to the show gardens at the heart of the event.

This year’s event was officially opened by President Michael D Higgins who said it reflected the groundswell of national support towards living more sustainably in order to address the issue of climate change.

A total of 11 gold medals were presented to show garden designers and the overall show garden award went to Dublin-based garden and landscape designer Alan Rudden for his Argentinean themed Vina Doña Paula – A Matter of Altitude garden.

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Mr Rudden’s garden was inspired by a recent visit to Mendoza. Judges said this was “reflected in the sprawling landscape and the contrast between the lower altitude, urban social life of the city and the higher altitude, more rural, open landscape where Doña Paula’s vines are grown”.

The garden boasts a semi-covered entertaining and cooking area where you can enjoy an Argentinean “asado”, which is an outdoor gathering of friends, and a pathway that represents the higher altitude vineyards of Mendoza.

The overall medium-sized garden award went to Belfast garden designer Linda McKeown for Enable Ireland’s Diversity Garden, while the overall small sized garden medal was awarded to Vtos Horticulture Cabra Community College for Tóg go Bog é.

The best concept garden award went to Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s Aqua Marine Garden designed by Oliver and Liat Schurmann, and “best planting” was awarded to Maeve O’Neill for the Grounded: Growing Conversations Around Mental Illness garden.

Award winners

A total of 10 gold medals were awarded to displays in the nursery and floral pavilion with the best in show nursery award going to Boyne Garden Centre, Slane, Co Meath.

In the amateur postcard garden category, the Longford Town Guild Irish Countrywomen’s Association garden called ‘Fork to Fork’ won best in the category.

In the Aoifa Floral Art competition, Ann Clifford from the Doddervale Flower Club, Dublin, received the overall prize for her ‘Streamlined’ entry.

Meanwhile, Nicola Lynch Morrin from Kildare received the overall floral art award, while Siobhán Larkin from Dublin received the overall botanical art award.